field trip 3 (28th April 2013):

Volcanology of the Lusatian Volcanic Field – New insights in old well-known

Guided by: Olaf Tietz, Jörg Büchner, Peter Suhr

The Lusatian Volcanic Field is a continental intraplate volcanic area, situated in the tri-border region Germany (Lusatia region/Lausitz), Poland (Lower Silesia/Niederschlesien) and Czech Republic (Lužické hory/Lausitzer Gebirge). The area is part of the Central European Volcanic Province and mediates between the Cenozoic volcanic rocks from North Bohemia and Lower Silesia. The Lusatian Volcanic Field is characterised by a bimodal composition with nephelinites/basanites/tephrites and trachytes/phonolites. For all volcanic rock types the climax of the radiogenic age determinations range between 27 Ma and 32 Ma. We know over 700 outcrops with volcanic rocks, but not the really number of eruption centres. Erosion and younger sedimentation escapes most of the superficial volcanic successions. However, the uplift of the Lausitz Massif and erosion allows insights in the volcano edifices and the reconstruction of the landscape evolution since the Neogene. The excursion will represent prominent examples for that and furthermore some petrological highlights, as e.g. zircon mega crystals in alkali basaltic rocks.